Nigerian Government Weighing Boko Haram Demand

Reuters reports that the government of Nigeria is considering its options now that the leader of Boko Haram has let his demands be known concerning the release of the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped from their school in mid-April. The Nigerian Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, spoke to Reuters by phone the day after a video showing about 100 girls, laying down the condition that they will be released in exchange for Boko Haram prisoners. Turaki told Reuters that the negotiations were still open and made a reference to an amnesty committee that was set up by President Goodluck Jonathan last year.

Well, we have no idea what the Nigerian government is thinking. An offer of amnesty isn’t what they want. Releasing jailed members of Boko Haram isn’t going to stop them from kidnapping more innocent people in the future. The American government has sent aid to help in the search for the girls, but no matter how outraged people are all over the world, nobody is going to go storming in with guns blazing even if they do locate them.

French priest, Georges Vandenbeusch, who was held prisoner by Boko Haram in Cameroon, was released on December 31, 2013. He gave a lot of credit to Cameroonian President Paul Biya for personally working on his case, but exactly how that was accomplished was not revealed. Release of Boko Haram prisoners was demanded in exchange for the priest’s freedom but it is not known if the condition was met. French President François Hollande insisted at the time that no ransom was paid.